Be Cool to the Pizza Dude, by Sarah Adams

Muestra tranquilidad con el chico de las pizzas.
--por Sarah Adams
Si tengo una filosofía operativa sobre la vida es esta: “Muestra tranquilidad con el repartidor de pizzas; trae buena suerte” Hay cuatro principios que guían la filosofía del chico de las pizzas.
Principio 1: La tranquilidad hacia el repartidor de pizzas es una práctica de humildad y perdón. Le dejo que se me cruce en el tráfico, le dejo que alcance la rampa de salida desde el carril izquierdo, le dejo que se olvide de utilizar el intermitente sin sacar ninguno de mis dedos extendido por la ventanilla o sin pitarle, porque debería de haber un momento en mi agobiada vida en que un coche me invada, o se cruce, o pase y yo le deje ir. A veces cuando estoy segura de que mi carril me pertenece, retando de forma temeraria a cualquiera, el chico de la pizza viene a toda velocidad en su oxidado Chevette (Chevrolet). Con su luz de pizza sobre su coche brillando como una baliza, me recuerda que he de revisar cómo fluyo yo por el mundo. Después de todo, el chico está repartiendo pizza a jóvenes y viejos, familias y solitarios, gays y heteros, negros, blancos y marrones, ricos y pobres, vegetarianos y amantes de la carne, a todos por igual. Le dejo paso libre en su trayecto, practico el control, muestro amabilidad, y contengo mi ira.
Principio 2: La tranquilidad hacia el chico de las pizzas es un acto de empatía. Enfrentémonos a ello: todos hemos hecho algún trabajo sólo por tener un trabajo, porque tener algo de dinero es mejor que no tener nada. Yo he tenido un surtido de esos trabajos y me sentía agradecida de recibir mi cheque a fin de mes, ya que me aseguraba que no tendría que compartir mis cereales con mis gatos. En la gran rueda de pizza de la vida, a veces eres el queso caliente y burbujeante y a veces eres la corteza quemada. Es bueno recordar el giro caprichoso de esa rueda.

Principio 3: La tranquilidad hacia el chico de las pizzas es una práctica de la honradez y me recuerda respetar el trabajo honrado. Déjame decirte algo de estos tíos: nunca han sido presidentes ejecutivos de una compañía, ni inflado de forma artificial el valor de las acciones, ni han vendido sus participaciones llevando a la compañía al borde de la bancarrota, provocando que 20.000 personas pierdan su trabajo mientras que el presidente ejecutivo se construye una casa del tamaño de un hotel de lujo. Más bien estos tipos duermen el sueño de los justos.
Principio 4: La tranquilidad hacia el chico de las pizzas es una práctica de la igualdad. Mi medida como ser humano, lo que vale para mi, es el orgullo con el que hago mi trabajo- cualquier trabajo- y el respeto con que trato a los demás. Yo soy igual que el resto del mundo no por el coche que conduzco, el tamaño de la televisión que tengo, el peso que soy capaz de levantar, o los cálculos de ecuaciones que se resolver. Soy igual a todos los que se cruzan en mi camino por la amabilidad de mi corazón. Y todo empieza aquí- con el chico de las pizzas.
Dadle una buena propina, amigos y hermanos, porque eso que le daréis libre y voluntariamente os traerá toda la feliz suerte que un universo agradecido sabe cómo devolver.

Sarah Adams ha tenido un gran número de trabajos en su vida, incluido la televenta, el trabajo en una fábrica, recpcionista de hotel, y cajera de una floristería, pero nunca ha repartido pizzas. Nacida en Connecticut y educada en Wisconsin, Adams vive ahora en Washington donde es profesora de inglés en el Olympic College. Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en This I Believe (Esto creo)

Sarah Adams has held a number of jobs in her life, including telemarketer, factory worker, hotel clerk, and flower shop cashier, but she has never delivered pizzas. Born in Connecticut and raised in Wisconsin, Adams now lives in Washington where she is an English professor at Olympic College. This article was originally published in This I Believe.

Seed Questions for Reflection

What does remembering the fickle spinning of the wheel of life mean to you? Can you share a personal experience of a time when you were able to go beyond thoughts of ownership to allow others to share the space? What lessons from this piece speak to you as a practice for your own life?

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Add Your Reflection

11 Past Reflections

Kenyierra

Nov 5, 2017

Yes, this really reflects back to when i use to be mean to my ex sometimes it's good to have a good heart and forgive people.

Ted

Oct 21, 2016

A Sisyphus example is a great one here.

Jan 13, 2016

I wish I could share this with my brother in law ... He has not worked in 6 years because he thinks he'd have to do a job that is "beneath" him. Are there any jobs beneath any one of us?
Appreciate this article! Thank you!
(Gotta go clean a toilet!)

satyagrahi

Jan 13, 2016

This is a tough lesson for me, because of the 'pizza due' being very impactful to me. While on my bicycle, i was hit by a speeding pizza dude on a motorcycle and spun around, my bike damaged and some long-lasting injuries. Then the pizza company strung me around for 3 months passing me from store manager to store manager to legal counsel (who yelled at me) ... Dominos definitely does not deliver!

Agree with the 4 points with any 'delivery dude'.

Living in Bangalore, we need to add a point #5. The delivery dudes are taking all the hits so the ordering family can stay indoors and avoid all the traffic and pollution. Now with online shopping and groceries taking off, the delivery dudes are becoming the frontline in facing the worsening environment, as people are pushed indoors for safety and entertainment. Hats off to the frontline!

Kat

Jan 12, 2016

This seems condescending to me. Implies that no one would really want a pizza delivery job.

Alf

Jan 12, 2016

This article is a reminder to me of the gift of love that we can give every day and as many times as you like completely free. Imagine that being able to give free gifts as often as you like and at the same time enjoying the karmic returns presented by this universal law. Once started on this path, one sees more than just this wonderful pizza dude that you can give gifts to or would be deserved of your gift of love, and so your influence up-sizes from small to medium to large and to family size with the bonus garlic bread.

Tony Pelusi

Jan 12, 2016

Got me to remember how easy it is for me to not notice when "I have become so certain of my ownership of my lane. " And how helpful it is to let go of that thought

madhur

Jan 12, 2016

Being grounded, being humane is what the article sums up for me. The wisdom is put forth simply to make a beginning with one guy, this time your pizza delivery dude. The only concern I had was the mention of 'pizza delivery' so many times in the article as it brought water in my mouth , I was fasting :)

Jagdish P Dave

Jan 10, 2016

The pizza wheel of life has many interconnected spokes: honoring work, serving and treating people with equality, courtesy,modesty, humility, self regard and empathy.Our self-worth does not necessarily depend on what work I do but how I do it. Do I put my heart in it? Do I accept it? How do I treat and serve others related to my work? I have been applying this philosophy of living and working to the best of my ability. It has filled the cup of my life with deep contentment, gratitude, empathy, joy and a wholesome sense of my self.Work can be worship no matter where I work and what work I do.How I work, the inner quality of my work, is more important than the outer forms of my work.

May we work with kindness, compassion, dedication, empathy, humility and gratitude!

david doane

Jan 9, 2016

The fickle spinning of the wheel of life means life is a mixed bag -- up and down, lucky and unlucky, win and lose, good times and bad times, success and failure, healthy and sick -- and over the course of time life is likely to involve the whole gamut. Some of it is our own making and some of it is fickle as it happens to us. As for going beyond thoughts of ownership, I've shared and given things, such as sharing something of mine or giving someone something of mine because they could use it, which is satisfying, and I've shared what I'm experiencing which is sharing myself and also very satisfying. The practice I hope to live out is to treat everyone the way the author speaks of treating the pizza delivery dude, that is, be tolerant of every driver, including those driving inconsiderately, and not get myself agitated and bent out of shape over it, honor every worker in every job, be respectful of every person, and remember that I and all others are equal, no one ab... View full comment

Kristin Pedemonti

Jan 9, 2016

OH how I loved this! May we all practice patience, kindness, and leave space for all of those who are navigating their way through life the best way they know how, even if that means they use no blinkers. :) The fickle wheel means we remember what comes around goes around and that we do our best to be kind and respect everyone on the journey. I rarely live in a space of "ownership" and am grateful to live in shared space nearly always. Life is so much deeper and brighter this way. We are here to uplift and serve each other and when we do so we all benefit so much more greatly. It is why I share the gift I was given of Listener and Storyteller and sharer of hope and understanding. Here's to us all honoring and respecting everyone on the path no matter what their vocation because inside each of us is a heart. Hugs from my heart to yours, Kristin